GYMNASTICS PLACES FIFTH AT NCAA NORTHEAST REGIONALS

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.-
The University of New Hampshire women’s gymnastics team
wrapped up its 2009 season with a fifth place finish at the NCAA
Northeast Regionals held at the University of Alabama.
Alabama took first
place in the meet with an impressive high score of 197.0. Placing
second was the University of Oklahoma with a team mark of 196.6.
Both schools will move on to compete at the NCAA finals on April 16
at the University of Nebraska.
Rounding out the field,
the University of Missouri was third (196.0), followed by Central
Michigan (194.950), UNH (193.650) and Maryland (192.725).
The Wildcats were the
recipients of a normal host school rotation, starting on vault,
then bars, beam and floor.
However it was a slow
start for the ‘Cats on vault as the team posted a 48.2 in the
event. Leading the way was senior Justine Turner (Salem, Mass.) as
she led the Wildcats with a judement of 9.725.
Following a bye, UNH
was off to bars where the overall team score of 48.625 was better.
Freshman Danielle Reibold (Horsham, Pa.) continued her strong
efforts in the event and led the squad with a mark of 9.775.
The Wildcats then
immediately moved to beam and did not have to count a fall en route
to a team score of 48.825 making beam the best event of the NCAA
Northeast Regionals for UNH. Sophomore Chelsea Steinberg
(Ridgewood, N.J.) continued her steady dominance in the event and
led the team with an impressive mark of 9.825, the highest score of
the day for the Wildcats in any event and good for 12th place.
After a bye, UNH was
able to hold onto fifth place over Maryland with a team mark of
47.975 in the floor exercise. Turner and junior Taryn LaFountain
(Utica, N.Y.) each recorded scores of 9.750 to lead the
‘Cats.
UNH finished the season
with a 15-8 regular season record, and fifth-place finishes at the
EAGL Championships and the NCAAs.